Culinary instrument



Oct. 5, 1937. J. REYNOLDS CULINARY INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1936 v wante n: JOHN REYNULDS,

Patented Oct. 5, 1937 .UNITED S'Tr PPATENT or es My invention relates toa culinary instrumentparticularly adapted for splitting vegetables suchas bean pods; and it has for its object to produce such an instrumenthaving novel and superior characteristics, as will be pointed outhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of aninstrument embodying my invention, adapted to splitting-pods of stringbeans;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the several parts of the instrument separated;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.,1;' l

Fig. 4 is a view. illustrating the manner of using the invention; and

Fig. 5 is aplan view of my invention embodied in a different form fromthat shown in the other views.

.The instrument illustrated'in the drawing comprises a knife or cutterfor splitting the vegetable, a pair of guides between'which thevegetable being treated passes after being split and which serve to holdit in proper relation to the knife, and a frame serving as a handle, asup port for the aforesaid parts and as a guide for the vegetable todirect it properly to the cutter.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the frame considered as a whole.It is. preferably formed of a narrow strip of metal standing on edge andwith its ends brought together and united, by brazing or otherwise, toconstitute a rigid frame structure. Such frame is shaped to form a part2 the opposite side bars of which are parallel and spaced apart toconstitute a handle that may be easily and, conveniently gripped by theuser. At the end of the frame opposite the handle the metalstrip isformed into a tubular portion 4, of

a size suited to the vegetable or'other similar object for the treatmentof which the tool is devised. Between the handle and the tubular endportion the frame is formed into an intermediate section consisting of apair of parallel side pieces 3, separated by a comparatively narrowspace 5. Through theside pieces 3 of the intermediate portion are formedholes 6 B represents-the knife or cutter of the instrument, preferablyformed as represented in Fig. 2, and comprising a body portion '1 thatis adapted to be setinto the space 5 between the side bars of theintermediate portion of the frame where it is secured by rivets 9 thatpass through the holes 6 in the frame and registering holes 8 in theknife body. 1 indicates a raised forward part of the knife which, whenthe latter is inserted in the handle, is offset from and stands aboveand crossbe used iningthe opening through the tubular end portion l ofthe frame. This forward raised portion is formed with a cutting edge H.The rear endfof the knife is formed into a supporting part it thatextends upwardly from the body thereof. Through this part is formed apivot hole i2 and in its upper edge is a notch 14.

C,'C, represent guides mounted so as to support the vegetable afterbeing split and until it has been passed sufficiently far beyond thecutting blade. Each guide is formed to have a head iii, that, when theparts are assembled for use as represented in Figure 1, is offset fromthe tubular portion 4 of the frame, and is positioned to one side of theknife so as to-be engaged by the vegetable passing through theinstrument. In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 thishead has a smooth rounded or curved face that bears against theside ofthe vegetable, the two heads I5 being opposite to each other on oppositesides of the knife and normally spaced apart a little less than theordinary thickness ofthe bean or other-vegetable or vegetable part thatis to be passed through the instrument to be split. it indicates thestem of the guide, it preferably being elastic so as to hold the head inthe desired position but resiliently, the guides yielding outwardly orsidewise as a bean is passed through thetube of the handle, past theknife, and between the guides. The guides at their rear .ends arepivoted to the upstanding portion 12 of the knife and to permit thiseach is perforated, as at l8. Each guide has its rear or pivoted end I!formed with a teat I 9 preferably formed by indenting the metal fromwhich the guide is formed.

D indicates the pivot uniting the guides to the knife. .It consists of abolt 20 passing through the apertures I8 in the guides and i3 in theportion I2 of the knife. Upon this bolt is a nut 2! and a spring washer22, if it be found desirable to use the latter.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a form of the invention in which the headportions of guides instead of being integral with the stems thereof, asrepresented in Figs. 1 and 2, are separate therefrom and consist ofrollers l5 suitably supported on the stems 16, which may be of wire.

The guides C are pivotally supported permitting them to be moved awayfrom the knife, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 1, giving accessto the parts for cleaning, and to the blade of the knife for sharpeningwhen that may become necessary. 7

The notch or recess M in the pivot-supporting portion of the knife andthe teats or projections 19 of the pivoted ends [7 of the guides are sorelated that when the parts are assembled and in working position, asrepresented in Figs. 1 and 4, the projections l9 lie in the notch orrecess Hi, and this interengagement is sufiicient, due to the tightnessof the pivot D, to hold the parts rigidly in Working position with theknife blade over the upper end of the tubular part 4 of the frame.However, if sufficient force is exerted upon a guide it may be turned onits pivot into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Otherarrangements of inter-engaging means for holding the guides in properworking relation to the knife with sufficient rigidity or firmness, andyet permitting them to be moved out of working position as described, asdo the slots and teats illustrated, may be employed, though thearrangement illustrated is simple and effective.

The manner of using the implement which has been described, is asfollows:

The bean pods, preferably after first being snipped and strung, arepassed one at a time through the tubular part of a handle, this partserving as a guide to direct the pods to the knife, by which they aresplit. The tubular part of the handle holds the pods before reaching theknife and while being cut thereby, and the guides C engage with and holdthe pods after they have been split as represented in Fig. 4. After thesplitting of the pod has progressed sufficiently far, the user may graspthe split pod, seen projecting in Fig. 4, and quickly draw it throughthe instrument.

While I have described the instrument as being used only for thetreatment of bean pods, for which it has been particularly devised, itis apparent that any other vegetable substance of a size and shape forwhich the instrument is adapted may be operated upon in the same way asa bean pod, the invention not being limited to use upon a specificvegetable or substance.

What I claim is:

1. A culinary instrument for use in splitting string beans comprising aframe formed of a narrow strip of metal shaped to form a handle at oneend, a tubular portion at the other end and an intermediate portionbetween these end parts, a cutting blade supported in the intermediateportion of the frame with its cutting edge offset from and standingacross the said tubular end part thereof, and guides on either side ofthe cutting blade, the tubular part of the frame serving to guide theobjects being split before they reach the blade and the guides afterthey have passed the blade.

2. An instrument such as described in claim 1, wherein the guides aresupported directly by the blade.

3. An instrument such as described in claim 1, wherein the guides arepivotally supported directly by the blade and are movable with referenceto the blade to permit access to the parts for cleansing or otherpurposes.

4. An instrument such as described in claim 1, wherein the guides arepivotally supported and are held in position on either side of theblade, there being means combined with the guides to hold them securelyin position when the instrument is. being used but adapted to yield whenadditional force is applied to turn them on their pivots.

5. A culinary instrument adapted for use in splitting bean pods,consisting of a metal frame serving as a handle and support, a knifesupported in the frame and having a projecting part serving as a pivotalsupport, a pair of guides arranged on either side of the knife fordirecting and holding the objects to be split, united to the saidprojecting part of the knife by a pivot upon which they may turn,interengaging recess and teat parts between the guides and supportarranged to hold the guides in working position relative to the bladewith sufficient force to permit the instrument to be used but arrangedto yield on additional force being applied to move the guides relativeto the knife.

6. An instrument such as described in claim 1, wherein the ends of theguides that engage with the vegetable after passing the cutter areintegral parts of the guides, having curved surfaces.

'7. An instrument such as described in claim 1, wherein the portions ofthe guides that engage with the vegetable after passing the cutter arerollers supported by the guides.

JOHN REYNOLDS.

